Hi all, I don't own a Cooper, but fixing for a friend. I'm holding a tether & am close to the end....

Started a few weeks back when a friend was convinced by a moron, that he was the best mechanic since cars were invented. Except, he wasn't!

He jacked BOTH front wheels off the ground with scissor jacks and hammered (actually) the pads in because he was too stupid to clean the pad carriers. He couldn't undo the T50 disc retaining bolt, so he totally ruined it with drill bits and STILL couldn't get it off. So new pads on rank discs.

He was having an issue mounting the aftermarket wheels (they are tricky, because the spigots are tight) and as he was messing with the drivers side, he pushed a little too hard, pushing the car off the cheap scissor jacks.... The left side hit the deck pretty hard while the right side the wheel went up the arch, breaking the headlamp plastic bracket & shoving the wing off the body by around an inch!!!

So she came to me in tears asking if I could fix the damage & do the brakes, bearing & whatnot.

However, the damage just kept on showing itself.

So far I have replaced the front discs & pads, drivers side bearing, drivers side CV (because I ended up having to use a sledge hammer to force it out of the welded with rust hub), Passenger bearing (because the bearing sound is horrific). Then the drivers side shaft bearing (it was bad) having traced one in France (123 Bearings. Excellent to deal with) REAR pads, which had been the problem from the start!!!! Drivers side lower ball joint (just worn) cooling radiator, because when it landed, it damaged the aluminium sides, loosening the grip & dripping coolant and I am STILL hearing the singing bearing.

My friend told me the car was silent apart from brakes (the carriers all round were absolutely rotten with rust, thanks to the lovely salt they so lovingly throw around the roads).

When I had carried out the initial work, before I did the passenger side bearing, I did think that I felt a slight roughness from the shaft, but it was hard to be sure as I was simply holding it in my had (no wheel bearing at this point) and turning it. However, I let myself be told (by the owner who witnessed the catastrophe) that it landed hard on the left side so... Which is why we went with a new bearing.

Now, I wish I had followed my instinct and removed the gearbox to inspect the diff bearings.

It is my belief that the hard landing, may have pushed the short shaft into the box (movement in the wishbone bushes could have let it go a few mm) damaging the tapered race cage and/or the race.

This is the ONLY conclusion I can see as the whole front has been replaced. The noise is absolutely emanating from the front left. I have checked the rear bearings and they are smooth.

As an aside, I had to renew the oil when I dropped out the articulated shaft to do the bearing. So I put in the specified Manual Gear Oil MVMTF Plus 75W90 Fully Synthetic. I was aware the oil that came out was red & the oil that went in was golden. However, that made no impact on the noise other than a slight change in the pitch (more singy less grouchy).

Just to reiterate. There was no bearing noise before it was dropped off the jacks.......

So has anyone come across bad diff bearings on an R56 Cooper before? Also, she bought an aftermarket brake pad wear indicator wire and I can't get rid of the "parking brake" warning. I interrogated it and it states the reading is implausible. I agree. It's telling me the car is travelling at 4072.16mph

I assume it's because it's aftermarket? I did try to go through the menu using the stalk & the dash buttons, but gave up for the evening.

Thank you for any advice. Sincerely, Andoo.

 

I see this post has had lots of views, but no response. I get it and I think we have our answer...

I replaced every wheel bearing (they were "ALL" bad, actually!!!), but the horrible whine is still present at any speed. I put in fresh oil after replacing the drive shaft bearing, hoping it would change the pitch (but knowing deep down it was only a billion to one chance) of the noise.

So next step is to get the car back to me, into the garage & remove the gearbox. It's a damn shame that such a simple job as replacing the brakes has turned into an owners nightmare She said to me last night, I wish I had just come to you in the 1st place. I feel so silly.... I suggested she has nothing to be embarrassed about, she simply believed a work colleague was being honest about his ability

On a positive note. When the cars in my shop, I'll have a bit of time to replace the brake lines since they were advised in the previous MoT test (for our overseas cousins, it's a mandatory yearly intense mechanical inspection to see if the vehicle is fit for the roads....pity the roads aren't fit for the vehicles ).

It was going to be back to me in June to have them done, but make hay while the sun shines and all that.

I shall keep you advised of my progress....or not